(Adds details throughout on sectors and stocks, updates prices)
* TSX up 21.48 points, or 0.15 percent, to 14,075.22
* Eight of the TSX's 10 main groups were higher
TORONTO, May 26 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index rose
to a fresh nine-month high on Thursday as mining stocks rallied,
while stronger-than-expected earnings from the country's biggest
bank by market value helped financials edge higher.
The materials group, which includes precious and base metals
miners and fertilizer companies, rose 1 percent.
Barrick Gold Corp ABX.TO climbed 1.3 percent to C$22.80,
while Goldcorp Inc G.TO was up 1.6 percent at C$22.22.
Copper prices reached two-week highs, while spot gold XAU=
edged 0.2 percent higher as the U.S. dollar's rally paused.
MET/L GOL/
Canada's two largest lenders reported an increase in bad
loans to oil and gas firms as low crude prices hurt energy
sector borrowers and cut into banks' profits.
Still, financials rose 0.2 percent, led by a 1 percent
advance in the shares of Royal Bank of Canada RY.TO to
C$80.05. It said net income excluding one-off items for the
second quarter to April 30 was C$2.6 billion, or C$1.66 per
share, better than the average estimate by analysts.
At 10:39 a.m. EDT (1439 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange's
S&P/TSX composite index .GSPTSE rose 21.48 points, or 0.15
percent, to 14,075.22. It touched its highest since Aug. 19 at
14,143.50.
Eight of the index's 10 main groups were higher.
The energy group seesawed as oil turned slightly lower after
rising above $50 a barrel for the first time in nearly seven
months.
U.S. crude CLc1 prices were down 0.1 percent to $49.49 a
barrel.